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Adventure - Bound in Stone PDF
Adventure - Bound in Stone PDF
Adventure Summary
The characters have been hired as guards and advisors to a merchant caravan
traveling through Ferelden. Their journeys take them into the outer portions of the
Celardo Freehold. As they make camp for the evening, their caravan is set upon by
bandits who ambush the group in the dead of night. The attack however, is a diversion
and the true meaning of this encounter becomes evident as a shadowy figure makes off
with a valuable jewel. The characters attempt to follow, but the thick forest, the darkness
and the traps of the bandits prove too difficult and the group is forced to return to camp.
As dawn breaks, the caravan leader insists the characters do what they can to
recover the jewel and holds them responsible for its disappearance. The characters have
little choice but to head into the depths of the woods in search of the bandits and the gem.
The characters quickly discover a light game trail leading through the trees and follow it
in search of their quarry. Navigating more traps, the characters are set upon by a small
group of blight wolves, corrupted by some unknown force. Continuing along the game
trail, the characters eventually reach the relative safety of a farmstead; here, they meet
Koren Hugh, a Ferelden farmer. When the characters find Koren, he has been badly
beaten and his home is in shambles. He is able to explain to the characters that his
daughter has been taken by the same brigands the characters are hunting. Koren believes
they have taken her to some strange ruins in the nearby forest. He offers to lead the
characters there if they will rescue his daughter.
With Koren leading them, the characters make their way along a rough footpath
further into the forest. The group emerges into a small clearing to find strange stone idols
in a ring around the clearing. At the center of the clearing are the remaining bandits
gathered around a central figure that appears in the midst of a ritual in the shadow of the
largest idol in the ring. The stolen gem has been placed – an exact fit – into the idol and
Koren’s daughter appears to be an unwilling participant in the ceremony. If the
characters can overcome the bandits and their mysterious leader, they may be able to
discover the truth behind these events.
Background
Long ago, a group of apostate wizards living in the western Bannorn of Ferelden
suffered a terrible tragedy. Known as the Druids of Dane, these hedge wizards began a
ritual designed to induct new members into their circle. Though this ritual had been
performed countless times, it was not without risk and quickly it turned against them as
one of the apprentice wizards became possessed by a demon of rage. The demon slew
many of the circle and those that survived spent weeks attempting to stop the beast. The
remaining druids did all they could to drive the demon back into the Fade, but were
unable to defeat it. Instead, they called upon powerful magic to separate the demon’s
spirit and bind the two fragments; the bulk of the demon’s essence was bound to an
ancient stone idol while the other was imprisoned within a large gem. The druids
withdrew from the region and vowed to return one day to banish the demon once and for
all. Time, however worked against the druids and the gem was lost and the demon
forgotten.
The stone idol and the demon bound within it remained hidden from the world,
though the forest surrounding the ruins grew cursed and twisted by the demon’s hate. A
young man named Langer Hugh, a local from a nearby farm, stumbled across the idol and,
though the demon was unable to leave its stone prison, it worked its influence over the
man. Soon he brought others to the idol and they too fell under the demon’s control.
Consumed by rage, these followers were given one task: to find the gem that bound the
demon’s power. With the whole of its spirit, the demon will be able to break free and
once more be unleashed upon the world.
A merchant named Mendonich Holze has inadvertently purchased the lost gem
while on his travels and now makes his way through the Bannorn. The demon, sensing
the jewel’s presence, sends its minions to recover the gem as well as prepare a ritual that
will release it.
Part One
Mendonich Holze is leading a caravan through Ferelden, trading a variety of
goods along the settlements of the Bannorn. Always in need of laborers and guards,
Mendonich has hired the characters to aid him in his travels. After a long day of travel,
the characters and the caravan have set up camp alongside a main highway in the
Bannorn. The characters settle into an evening of guard duty and rest. In the dead of
night, Langer Hugh and his companions set upon the caravan hoping to steal the gem for
their demonic patron. Langer’s thugs cause a distraction as he sneaks into Mendonich’s
wagon, directed by the demon, and steals the gem.
Disappearing into the thick forest, Mendonich screams at the characters to follow
the fleeing raiders. Rushing into the woods themselves, the characters attempt to pursue
the attackers in the darkness and are quickly slowed after stumbling across a number of
well-placed traps meant to help the raiders escape. Lost in the dark and injured, the
characters can return to the caravan in order to wait for the light of day or continue to
stumble through the dark forest.
Prologue
The characters have all been hired as guards or laborers for Mendonich Holze and
his caravan. Whether they have worked for their employer for some time or whether they
have just been hired on, the characters believe Mendonich to be a trustworthy merchant
who only seeks to earn a living traveling the roads of Ferelden. The roles the characters
take in the caravan depend on their abilities and they can be employed as simple guards,
translators, laborers, guides, teamsters and the like. The characters have all been
introduced to one another and their employer, as well as the other members of the
caravan.
The caravan Mendonich Holze leads through Ferelden is made up of two large
covered wagons, each drawn by two draft horses. Holze uses one wagon to live out of
and keeps the most valuable goods transported by the caravan in locked chests within the
locked wagon. Holze has hired three wagon-drivers and four teamsters since arriving in
Ferelden. Holze owns two dogs that he uses as pets, scouts and lookouts. Holze’s only
companion from Orlais is a large man he calls Barrett the Mute. As Holze tells it, Barrett
is a loyal man-at-arms for his family who had his tongue removed after speaking ill
against an Orlesian lord. Barrett is Holze’s chief bodyguard and is clearly a skilled
warrior who does little apart from stand silently, watching for trouble.
The characters have no knowledge of the gem Mendonich carries, which is
always kept in a locked chest within his wagon.
Raider
Abilities (Focuses)
1 Communication (Deception)
1 Constitution
0 Cunning (Nature Lore)
2 Dexterity (Light Blades, Stealth)
0 Magic
1 Perception (Tracking)
2 Strength (Climbing)
-1 Willpower
Combat Ratings
Speed Health Defense Armor Rating
12 16 12 3
Attacks
Weapon Attack Roll Damage
Dagger +4 1d6+3
Short Bow +2 1d6+2
Short Sword +4 1d6+4
Powers
Berserk Strike: Their intense rage allows these
raiders to perform the Mighty Blow stunt for 1 SP
instead of the usual 2.
Favored Stunts: Mighty Blow, Pierce Armor
Equipment
Dagger, Light Leather, Short Bow, Short Sword
Part Two
The characters have been tasked with tracking down a band of raiders that have
made off with a valuable gem stolen from their employer, caravan leader Mendonich
Holze. After a daring nighttime raid, the bandit leader stole the gem and fled into the
thick wilderness, eluding the characters who attempted a pursuit. The characters must
now brave the dark woods in search of the gem.
As the characters enter the forest, they must attempt to track the raiders, picking
up the trail left the previous evening. Navigating the woods proves challenging and the
characters run the risk of getting lost. In addition, the raiders have planted traps along the
way to ensure anyone following them will be delayed or killed. Continued exploration of
the woods leads the characters to a game trail, which in turn will lead them to the relative
safety of a small farmstead.
Before reaching the farmstead, the characters are set upon by a number of wolves,
corrupted and twisted by a malevolent force. The curse of the bound demon’s wrath has
changed the land around it, including some of the local wildlife. A small pack of blight
wolves falls upon the characters, giving the party evidence that something horrible is
taking place in the woods.
Reaching the farmstead, the characters find that it belongs to Koren Hugh, a
simple farmer caught up in the midst of these terrible events. The characters meet Hugh,
who has lost his daughter to the raiders. A native of the region, Koren Hugh offers to aid
the characters in their search for the kidnappers so long as they aid him in recovering his
daughter. The characters have a chance to question Hugh regarding recent events and it
seems the farmer knows more than he is initially willing to tell. With Hugh’s help, the
characters set out to find the raiders.
Blight Wolf
Abilities (Focuses)
0 Communication
3 Constitution (Running)
-2 Cunning
2 Dexterity (Bite, Stealth)
0 Magic
3 Perception (Hearing, Smelling)
2 Strength (Jumping)
1 Willpower
Combat Ratings
Speed Health Defense Armor Rating
14 25 12 3
Attacks
Weapon Attack Roll Damage
Bite +4 1d6+4
Powers
Favored Stunts: Knock Prone, Lighting Attack
Part Three
With a destination clearly in mind, the characters depart the Hugh farm in search
of the missing girl and the stolen gem. Langer Hugh and his followers intend to use the
gem to release the bound demon and offer his younger sister as a sacrifice for the creature.
Should this happen, the demon will be freed and returned to full power – a power even
the druids of the past could not defeat.
The characters must once more track the raiders through the forest. Should they
have Koren Hugh leading them, their journey will be far faster. If Koren merely
provided them with directions, they will have to track the bandits themselves. In either
case, a few final traps lay in their path before reaching the ancient ruins where the bound
demon resides.
Upon reaching the ancient idols, the characters discover the raiders in the midst of
a strange ritual. The gem is being placed by Langer Hugh into the face of one of the idols,
his sister bound to the earth, an apparent sacrifice. Depending on their timing, the
characters will most likely arrive in the middle of the ritual, though if they took too long
tracking the raiders they may arrive too late. When the characters arrive, the raiders do
not immediately attack, more concerned with finishing the ritual. The characters have an
opportunity to parley with Langer, who may yet be redeemed.
What happens next depends a great deal on the characters. If they manage to
redeem Langer one of his companions kills himself, giving the demon a chance to
manifest, though without all of its power. The characters and Langer must defeat the
remaining raiders and the demon together. If Langer remains in the thrall of the demon,
he offers the characters the option of taking his sister and leaving; should they take him
up on his offer and leave with the girl, they complete the ritual using one of the raiders as
the vessel and the demon is unleashed. Should the characters refuse, or if combat ensues,
Langer quickly places the gem in the idol and attempts to kill Gedre, which releases the
demon.
Langer Hugh
Abilities (Focuses)
1 Communication (Deception)
1 Constitution
0 Cunning (Nature Lore)
3 Dexterity (Light Blades, Stealth)
0 Magic
1 Perception (Tracking)
2 Strength (Climbing)
-1 Willpower
Combat Ratings
Speed Health Defense Armor Rating
12 25 13 3
Attacks
Weapon Attack Roll Damage
Dagger +5 1d6+3
Short Bow +2 1d6+2
Short Sword +5 1d6+4
Powers
Berserk Strike: Their intense rage allows these
raiders to perform the Mighty Blow stunt for 1 SP
instead of the usual 2.
Favored Stunts: Mighty Blow, Pierce Armor
Talents: Scouting (Novice), Single Weapon Style
(Novice)
Weapon Groups: Bows, Brawling, Light Blades
Equipment
Dagger, Light Leather, Short Bow, Short Sword
Epilogue
The outcome of the adventure relies heavily on the actions of the characters. If
Langer was redeemed and his sister rescued, the characters will have most likely defeated
the demon and its minions and recovered the gem. Langer can tell the characters how he
discovered the idol and the influence the demon had over him, how it guided his actions
and steered him along the path it had chosen. His insight can reveal some of the
background behind how the demon came to occupy the idol and how it desperately
sought to be released and regain its full power. Koren will be quite relieved at the safe
return of his two children, but can only offer his thanks as a reward; his son’s absence has
cost his farm dearly in the past weeks.
If the characters were too late in arriving at the ruins and were forced to kill
Langer as well as finding Gedre dead, Koren will be distraught. He remains at his farm
before sinking into a deep despair that will eventually see the end of him.
Should the characters take Langer up on his offer to rescue Gedre and leave,
Koren will mourn the loss of his son but be thankful for the return of his daughter. He
offers the characters his heartfelt thanks before they depart. Unfortunately, the demon
will be released, using one of the raiders as a sacrifice. If the characters took the gem and
left, the demon and its minions will continue to plague the caravan in the future. Had the
characters left the gem with the demon, it begins a rampage across the countryside, first
stopping at the Hugh farm to finish what was started at the ritual.
If Langer remained in the thrall of the demon, the characters would be forced to
destroy the demon and kill its followers, including Langer. As above, Koren mourns his
son but is thankful for the return of his daughter. When the demon is destroyed, life will
slowly return to normal around the ruins, the demon’s curse fading with time.
At the ruins, the characters can find a number of valuables collected by the raiders
as tribute for the demon. In addition to the gear carried by the raiders, the characters also
find supplies such as food, arrows, torches and other sundries. Each raider possessed 1d6
silver pieces worth of personal valuables. A small cache of offerings can be found at the
base of the idol, worth 2d6x10 silver pieces.
When the characters return to Mendonich with the gem, he is obviously quite
curious as to what happened. Should the characters explain the events of the past day he
seems quite surprise that this ‘simple’ gem he purchased held such a dark secret. If the
characters failed to return with the gem, Mendonich is quite upset and will take the value
of the gem out of the character’s pay, which will take some time. If the gem was returned,
whether it was used by the demon or not, Mendonich is relieved and very thankful to the
characters; though he considers its recovery part of their job, he offers to buy the
characters a drink at the next stop.